Chapter 2

Ella’s POV

Slowly I climbed back onto the boulder which felt much warmer than this morning probably due to the sun’s heat beating off its satiny surface throughout the day. I found myself trying to hold back tears that were forming behind my eyelids. Tears that I did not want to spill all day while I was at school in front of all my peers. I felt like all my prayers to the Moon Goddess were for nothing over the last couple of years, and all my dreams of this day being the day just shattered to a million pieces just like my heart was feeling right now.

Before I knew it warm liquid poured down my cool cheeks and I no longer could hold them back. I grabbed my chest trying to hold my heart thinking it would stop the emotional heartache I was feeling, but nothing I could do would comfort or stop it.

Through blurred eyes I looked out at the pond as soft ripples formed on the surface due to the cool breeze of the evening air. With the sunset the autumn colors were being amplified and the pond surface was acting as a mirror. This place really was majestic, and I’m surprised no one ever came here but myself. Thoughts of everything that didn’t happen today plagued my mind. The one thing I wanted for my birthday wasn’t going to happen. I had to bring myself to terms with that, but I prayed that someday soon it would. I knew that my mate existed and that the Moon Goddess made him specially for me. I had to have patience and realize that the Moon Goddess had a plan for all of us. I had to believe that I will find him when the time is right.

As I sat there taking in the beauty, I felt a warmth overcome me and I had to wonder if the Moon Goddess herself had something to do with it. It was like a warm blanket that was taken freshly out of the dryer was placed over my shoulders as the heat radiated through my body warming me up to the core. I laid back on the boulder and turned my attention to the sky as the last of the day’s sun’s rays beat down on me. I felt a comfort come over me as I closed my eyes and let the warmth take me.

My eyes fluttered as I tried to open them and realized that the sun had been replaced with the moon and the stars. I laid there for a moment looking at the vast space above me that was so out of reach but possessed a beauty that no one would ever be able to physically touch. As the stars twinkled in the sky, they remind me of flawless diamonds and crystals strategically placed one by one in the most perfect place. I pulled myself up onto my elbows and looked over the pond as the moon now reflected off the water lighting the opening in which it sat. In a few more minutes the moon would be directly above the pond and that’s when I realized what time it was.

My heart started to race as I pushed myself the rest of the way up and slid down the boulder and onto the night dewed grass. I only had minutes to make it home before the moon was at its highest position and my transformation would begin. I promised my parents that I would be home way before dark so I could prepare for this. How could I have been so careless?

I started running towards my house on the path that I have made over the years on my daily walks to the pond. The grass that once bedded the ground has now turned to dirt making it easy to know even in the dark, I am heading in the right direction.

I’m about halfway home when I start to feel tingles all over every inch of my skin. It doesn’t hurt but feels more electrifying. Like when you have static electricity after pulling on a sweater and your hair starts to stick up and it gives you that tingling feeling on your scalp. I start to run faster thinking this maybe the first sign that the shift is about to occur, but when I start to run faster the tingles begin too intensive. Now my body is starting to feel like electricity is being run through it, but it still doesn’t hurt. It makes me feel more awake and more alive almost like after downing an energy drink. I find myself pushing to run harder now with the new burst of energy I acquired but then it hits me. A bolt of electricity like nothing I have ever felt before in my life, and I find myself stopping dead in my tracks. The bolt of electricity leaves me as fast as it hits me, and I find myself breathless.

I stand there trying to catch my breath when I realize that something isn’t quite right. It’s like the woods around me has come to life. I raise my head up to the sky trying to figure out where each and every sound is coming from but when I do, I noticed that the stars don’t look so far away anymore. The stars are glowing ten times brighter than just a few minutes ago almost like they are falling from the sky. I find myself awing over their beauty as I take in the sparkling display before me until I set my eyes on the moon that is now positioned at the highest point of the night. My breath that was once lost is now found as my lungs fill with air and I let out a howl. Wait what? Yes, a howl. Not just any howl but a howl that sounds more like an Alpha howl. A howl that possesses more dominance than any howl I have ever heard before.

Steadily I pull my head down from the sky and look down at myself. I am no longer standing on two feet but now I am on all fours. Shimmering white paws have now replaced once where my van shoes were. Damn it those were my favorite pair of shoes and now they are gone. Probably shredded to nothing with the shift, but as I look around, I realize I don’t see any of my clothes or shoes shredded to nothing. I look around the small opening I am now standing in trying to find any fiber of my clothing that could be left but can’t find even a thread.

Wondering how long I could have been running as my wolf I turn around and run back towards the pond in the hopes to at least find my backpack. As I ran back towards the pond, I let myself take in my surrounding with my newfound senses. Not only was my vision enhanced but hearing was supersonic. An owl hooted and I turned my head in the direction of the sound and concentrated all my efforts into seeking it. Only what I could explain what looked like tunnel vision zooming in on the owl perched about thirty feet up on a branch around one hundred yards or more away but to me the owl only looked about ten feet away. I could clearly see the gold flakes in the owl’s big brown eyes and the brown that intertwined with the white in its feathers as the wind ruffled its feathers. The owl stared straight at me as I almost felt like I was looking into its soul through its eyes. I could feel its fear as I was now made aware I was its predator, and it was my prey. But lucky for the owl la cart owl was not on my menu for tonight nor any night for that matter.

My paws came to an abrupt stop when I enter the clearing where the pond rested. I was so happy to be standing here alone at this moment because I knew that I had to look like a complete fool. My mouth was hanging wide open with my tongue hanging out the side and I know if I wasn’t in my wolf form but in my human form it would be the same response. Because I was seeing this majestic place for the first time through a new set of eyes and there were no words to describe the beauty that laid before me. It was like I was transported into a different realm. A realm were fairies existed and lite up their surrounding with pixie dust. Every inch of the opening looked like it was lightly sprinkled with glitter making it look magical.

I started to wonder why my parents or even Samantha didn’t tell me about the best part of my first shift or why it’s not talked about in wolf biology class. One would think that this would be a highlight to tell all werewolves about but no they focus on telling you about the pain of the first shift. A pain that I honestly have no clue why they exaggerate about because I didn’t think it was that bad. When I think about how it felt more like magic was coursing through my veins almost like little sparks. Yes, there was one big one at the end but for the most part it just felt like a rush of energy coursing through me, waking up and enhancing all my senses in my body. I felt like I had the strength of ten men and the energy of child on a sugar high, but it left me wonder why everything I was told that I would feel isn’t how I am feeling.

Although I am feeling quite thirsty and decided to finally walk into the clearing towards the pond. As my paws walked across the glistening grass, I felt the dew drops from the night’s coolness dampen the pads of my paws. Fireflies danced around pond’s edges giving a sparkling effect to the crystal-clear water

Finally, I made it to the pond and dipped my head down for a sip of the cool crisp water but quickly paused looking at my reflection staring back at me. “Someone pinch me I must be dreaming.” I thought to myself. There in the clear waters of the pond that only rippled softly tonight a radiant pure white wolf reflected back at me with eyes as blue as the sky.

I found myself playing a game of Simon says with my reflection making sure I wasn’t hallucinating at what I was truly seeing. But every time I’d make a movement the wolf reflecting back at me would follow verifying that the wolf in the reflection was truly me.

“This can’t possibly be.” I told myself. White wolves have been extinct for decades and from what I can remember every Alpha on the planet would give anything to find one. It’s known that a white wolf possesses magic given by the Moon Goddess herself. A magic that an Alpha would love to harvest in his benefit to wage a war against other packs to gain more territory and wealth.

My heart began to race at the thought of the Crescent Moon Alpha locking me up and harvesting me for my magic. He was known to be power hungry back in the day, and I worried that once he found out I was a white wolf that hunger would arise again.

No way was I going to ever let my wolf’s true identity be known to our Alpha or any other Alpha for that matter. At that point I realized that I had to keep my wolf’s identity a secret and not just from the Alpha but from everyone including my family and my friends. It was the only way that I could guarantee my safety.

I felt my wolf inside of me whimper as I took one last look at her reflection and willed myself to my human form. Within seconds and no pain staring back at me was the old me fully dressed, with backpack over my shoulder. Shock filled me as I padded myself down realizing that my clothes were still intact and that I was fully dressed. I looked down and my favorite Van shoes were still as they were.

I took my time walking back to my house thinking about what I was going to tell my parents. Before I knew it, I was stepping out of the woods and into the clearing where our house sat, I took caution to my surroundings making sure everything seemed normal in hopes no one saw me.

As I got closer to the house, I realized that the kitchen window was open, and I could hear my father’s voice. He sounded worried and I stepped closer to hear who he was talking to. “No Alpha” he said. “She never ran off like this before. Especially when we told her to come straight home from school for her first shift.” I couldn’t hear the Alpha, so I knew he was on the phone with him. I thought I better hurry up inside to let my presence known before my father had the whole pack out looking for me.

I raced around to the front of the house and stepped up onto the front porch trying to avoid the second step that always made a creak when stepped on in the middle. I needed to take one last deep breath and pray that my plan would work before my parents knew that I was home.

As soon as I turned the doorknob both my parents came running. Obviously, my parents had their wolf instincts on high alert with my disappearance. My mother was a sobbing mess and I felt bad worrying her. My father on the other hand had a stern look on his face and I was worried about the consequences I was about to face. My mother embraced me in a hug and said, “My baby you are okay.” She kissed my forehead and hugged me tighter, and she thanked the Moon Goddess for bringing me home to her.

I cried out to my mother, “I can’t breathe.” My mother stepped back and checked my body for injuries. “No mom, you were hugging me too tight. I’m okay.”

At this point I was able to take a better look at my mother who looked like she had been crying for hours now. Her eyelids looked red, and the skin below was puffed with traces of black eyeliner smudged underneath. My heart ached that I was the cause of this pain. I lowered my head towards the floor ashamed of myself and the pain that I have caused.

I could hear my father telling the Alpha that I was safely home and that he was sorry for disturbing him. He then hung up and came back to me. “Where have you been? You had us worried sick.” I could tell that he was upset but I could also tell by his tone that he was more worried about my safety. I had never given my father a reason to ever worry about me or to ever have to use a stern voice with me.

I took another deep breath before the web of lies spun from my lips. “I went for a walk after school to clear my head, and I must have fallen asleep and when I woke up, I ran straight home. I’m sorry I lost track of time.” I said convincing myself that they were buying what I was selling.

My parents looked at me and then looked at the clock. “Time” they both said in unison. I think they realized at that moment what time it was. The look on their faces went from a parent ready to ground their child for the rest of their life to a look of deep concern and confusion.

.

“Ella did you shift?” My mother asked as she took ahold of my hands.

My mouth felt dry, and my heart started to race, and I cleared my throat as I said, “No mom. Is it time for me to shift?”

I watched as my mother turned to look at my father and their expressions turn to shock, confusion, grief, and something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

With grave concern in my father’s eyes, he stepped towards me. “Yes Ella. You should have shifted by now.” He said as I could hear his voice slightly crack.

My parents then both looked at each other but again and I started to wonder if they were having a private conversation with each other through their mate bond.

The silence was killing me, and I was wondering if they didn’t believe me. I wondered if they were able to sense my wolf, but I knew that my wolf was powerful and if I didn’t want her to be detected she would be able to hide herself from anyone. The suspense was killing me, so I decided to break the silence by saying, “What does that mean dad?”

Whatever conversation they were having with each other took a pause because they then both looked at me and then back at each other. It took a few seconds before my father finally turned back to me and said, “You’re just a late bloomer sweetie. I’m sure you will shift in due time.”

I shook my head in agreeance with him. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s what it is.” I said thanking the Moon Goddess that they didn’t ask me anymore questions and that this was the conclusion they had come to.

Both my parents agreed with what I said but I could see the sadness in their eyes. I started to regret not telling them the truth once again. I was their only child, and they probably were waiting for this proud day to shift with their pup. It was like a rite of passage in the wolf community when your pup had their first shift, and here I was taking that day away from them.

My mother cleared her throat. “Well, it’s still your birthday Sweetie, let’s eat your cake.” She said with a forced smile on her face. I smiled back at the thought of cake as I followed her to the kitchen. It just didn’t seem right eating cake and celebrating such a disastrous day, but I forced myself to give her this one happy moment today with me.

My mother lit my candles, and I made one last wish to the Moon Goddess. This time my wish was to give me a mate that I could trust with my secret and protect me from those that might try to use me for my powers. I blew out my candles hoping that this time the Moon Goddess heard my cries for help.